A vision for Good Food in Every Postcode

Affordable Food Alliance launches landmark report calling for Affordable Food Clubs to be recognised as key part of UK’s long-term strategy to tackle hunger and food insecurity.

A coalition of the UK's leading affordable food organisations has today launched a new landmark report demonstrating the impact that Affordable Food Clubs are having in communities across the country, and calling for greater recognition of their role in supporting households at risk of hunger and food insecurity.

The newly-formed Affordable Food Alliance, which comprises organisations such as Feeding Britain, Community Shop, The Bread and Butter Thing, Your Local Pantry (Church Action on Poverty), Family Action, Community Grocery (The Message Trust), The Scottish Pantry Network, Good Food Scotland and FoodSavers Network (Inn Churches), is a coalition of independent networks with decades of experience who have come together to draw attention to the impact that Affordable Food Clubs are having across the UK.

At a time when food insecurity remains a significant challenge in the UK, and local and national policy makers are actively seeking to reduce dependence on emergency food provision, such as food banks, the report from the newly formed Affordable Food Alliance brings together evidence from across its networks, representing thousands of households across the UK. The report, which was launched at Westminster event attended by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Stephen Morgan MP, gives policymakers a clear evidence base for why Affordable Food Clubs should be recognised and supported as part of a wider response to food insecurity.

More than 4,000 users of Affordable Food Clubs were polled for the new report which reveals:

• 38% accessed an Affordable Food Club without having needed to use a food bank. Among those who had, 63% have been able to stop or reduce their use of foodbanks by using Affordable Food Clubs

• 75% are less worried or stressed about being able to afford or access food, since joining an Affordable Food Club

• 77% of respondents agreed Affordable Food Clubs helped them feel closer to their community

• 72% were able to afford more well-balanced meals thanks to Affordable Food Clubs

• 67% are eating more fresh fruit and vegetables

• 74% have accessed at least one form of wrap-around support provided by Affordable Food Clubs, demonstrating how food acts as a gateway to a wider range of services and activities

In response to these findings, the Affordable Food Alliance has outlined a collective vision to ensure there is "Good Food in Every Postcode", providing long-term solutions that reduce dependence on emergency food provision. The report argues that Affordable Food Clubs are uniquely placed to support the Government's ambitions to reduce food insecurity; following the recent government announcement of £10 million funding as part of the Good Food Neighbourhoods programme, the Affordable Food Alliance believes that Affordable Food Clubs are best placed to help the government meet its goals of reducing reliance on emergency food parcels and food banks, improving public health outcomes, strengthening communities and helping families become more financially resilient for the long-term.

Award Win for Community Impact Partnership

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and The Bread and Butter Thing has won the Corporate Community Local Involvement award at the 2026 Charity Times Awards, recognising a place-based approach that combines immediate access to affordable, nutritious food with longer-term pathways into confidence, skills, education, training and employment.

The award recognises active corporate involvement in a charitable project in its locality, or through partnership with a local UK-registered charity. In this case, it reflects a shared model built around trusted community hubs in England, with support shaped by local needs and informed by the voices and lived experience of the people using it.

The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has worked with The Bread and Butter Thing since 2021. Over the last five years, the place-based partnership has developed from a six-month pilot into a long-term collaboration. It combines The Bread and Butter Thing’s trusted community network with the Foundation’s funding and independent charitable governance, alongside the practical value enabled by Sodexo’s people, operational expertise, scale, volunteers and supply-chain relationships.

Together, these elements provide immediate food support with dignity while contributing to longer-term social impact: stronger confidence and community connections, and clearer routes into skills, education, training, volunteering and employment.

Through The Bread and Butter Thing’s Empowering Conversations programme funded by the Foundation, 311 women took part in empowerment workshops, the programme also contributed to 26 women moving into paid employment and has enabled 137 to enter education or training. Delivered through trusted local hubs, the programme tailors support to participants’ goals and the opportunities available in each place to support social mobility.

Sodexo has also mobilised people and relationships across its wider business and supply partners to support the redistribution –of 45 tonnes of food, volunteering and community engagement, which alongside funding, local insight and employability support, demonstrates how the partnership’s different contributions reinforce one another.

Camille Thobois, Head of Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award with The Bread and Butter Thing. What started as a small pilot has grown into a genuinely integrated, place-based partnership that brings together funding, volunteering, operational expertise, community insight and the strength of Sodexo’s supply chain.

 “By listening to people in the communities we support, we can shape dignified support around local needs and where it can make the greatest difference. Together, we are improving access to affordable food while helping people build confidence, develop skills and move towards employment, education and volunteering. This award is wonderful recognition of everyone who has helped turn our shared ambition into lasting local impact.”

 Vic Harper, Chief Executive of The Bread and Butter Thing, added: “This award recognises what can be achieved when a charity and corporate partner build their work around the needs and experiences of local communities. Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has supported us with much more than funding, opening up expertise, volunteers and supplier relationships that have strengthened our work and extended its impact.

“Together, we have developed practical, dignified support that helps people access nutritious food while creating connections and opportunities that can build longer-term resilience.”

The partners monitor the collaboration through structured quarterly reviews, combining quantitative reporting with insight from The Bread and Butter Thing’s members. This helps activity respond to peoples lived experience and community priorities, while assessing wider changes in food affordability, wellbeing, confidence and community resilience.

This holistic approach has also supported around 250 families through Healthy voucher activity, contributing to improved diet.

Sodexo is the founding partner of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a UK registered charity. Since 2005 the Foundation has been focused on empowering the most disadvantaged communities across the UK and Ireland to tackle the root causes of food insecurity and poverty. The Foundation supports a number of projects and organisations focused on improving skills, supporting mental health, mentoring, providing education opportunities and building financial literacy and confidence from an early age.

Over the past 10 years, The Bread and Butter Thing has grown from supporting a single community to become the UK’s largest membership based food charity. Establishing a national network of more than 160 community food clubs, reaching over 120,000 households and redistributing the equivalent of 70 million meals. But the true impact goes far beyond food. By providing affordable, nutritious food without referrals or crisis thresholds, they help families stay financially stable before they reach breaking point.

Volunteer with us this Christmas!

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for TBBT, and we need your help.

Every week, around 10,000 families rely on us. We never want to miss a delivery, even over Christmas, so when our usual hub days fall over the festive break, we move them to make sure members still get their food.

That means a lot of extra activity in a very short space of time, and we need more hands on deck to make it all happen.

If you can spare a few hours over the festive season, you could help us pack food, support a hub, or keep things moving behind the scenes.

Give us a few hours and help make sure 10,000 families a week can still count on TBBT this Christmas.

Join Team TBBT this Christmas and find out more about what you could be getting up to on the day by emailing: corporatevolunteering@breadandbutterthing.org

The Bread And Butter Thing Marks 10 Years And 70 Million Meals

The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) marked its 10th anniversary with a special reception in Speaker's House, by kind permission of Mr Speaker, The Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP. The event brought together members, volunteers, politicians, partners and food industry leaders to celebrate a decade in which TBBT has grown from a single van serving one Manchester community to more than 160 community food clubs, supporting over 120,000 households and distributing 70 million meals.

Guests included Madam Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes MP; Jonathan Brash MP; Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s; Judith Irons, Food Systems and Sustainability Director of 2 Sisters Food Group; TBBT Chief Executive Vic Harper and founder Mark Game.

TBBT founders Mark & Jane

Deputy Speaker, The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes, said: “The Bread and Butter Thing is a remarkable charity which has shown the massive impact practical help can have. Over 10 years it has grown in size and scale, helping 120,000 families, from Kent to Northumberland. I am very pleased to celebrate its 10th anniversary in Speaker's House and I would like to add my personal thanks to Mr Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, for making this possible, and for his words of support. 

'With the charity's powerful aims, achievements, and mission, I am looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years can bring.”

Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s, added: “We believe everyone should have access to good food. The Bread and Butter Thing is helping make that a reality for families across the country, offering practical food solutions and wider support for many families navigating challenges.  

“We're incredibly proud of our partnership with TBBT. Together with Comic Relief, we've raised more than £26 million to support over 2.4 million people facing food insecurity. We'll continue working together with Comic Relief and TBBT to help create stronger, more resilient communities.”

Judith Irons, Food Systems and Sustainability Director, 2 Sisters Food Group, said: “Anyone who works in the food industry knows that getting surplus to where it can do good is much harder than it looks. It does not appear neatly, in the right quantities, in the right place, with plenty of notice.

“The Bread and Butter Thing manages the full chain, from collection and transport through to delivery, and takes that complexity away from food businesses. We produce protein, one of the more expensive parts of the weekly shop, so when our surplus goes into a Bread and Butter bag, it can become the centre of a family meal. There is still far too much edible food in our system that could be doing good, and partnerships like this show what is possible. Thank you for inviting us to be part of the journey.”

Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s & Vic Harper, CEO of The Bread and Butter Thing

Vic Harper, Chief Executive of The Bread and Butter Thing, concluded: “Ten years ago, we were one van and one community in Manchester and now we’re woven into communities from Northumberland to Kent. I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, and, in all that time, we have never missed a delivery and never moved out of a community. Our members know that, week in and week out, we’ll be there.

“That doesn’t happen without an extraordinary network of members, volunteers, community partners, suppliers, funders and supporters behind us. Tonight is a chance to celebrate all of them, and everything we’ve built together. Thank you, and here’s to the next 10!”

HAF Around the Hub: A summer of food, fun and family support

This summer, our HAF Around the Hub programme reached thousands of children and families across England, helping make the school holidays healthier, happier and a little easier.

What is HAF?

HAF stands for Holiday Activities and Food. It is a government-funded programme delivered through local authorities, providing children from low-income families with free holiday activities, nutritious food and safe, enriching places to spend time during the school holidays.

Our HAF Around the Hub model builds on this by using TBBT’s existing network of community food clubs to connect holiday provision with the families and communities we already work alongside.

During 2026, we worked across 67 communities, with 96 activity providers and 18 councils, helping to create:

• 10,806 activity spaces

• 12,545 Bread and Butter vouchers

• 398,950 meals

By working through established community networks, HAF Around the Hub helps tackle some of the practical barriers that can prevent families taking part, while providing additional food support at a time when household budgets can be particularly stretched.

But the impact went far beyond the numbers.

For local organisations, the Bread and Butter vouchers also created opportunities to start conversations with families who might otherwise be difficult to reach.

As Karbon Homes told us:

“The Bread & Butter vouchers have been a really valuable engagement tool. While handing them out at one of today's sessions, I had some really meaningful conversations with families that may not otherwise have taken place.”

Those conversations opened the door to discussions about the cost of living and other challenges families were experiencing, allowing people to be connected with further support when they needed it.

For parents, the programme provided something equally practical: somewhere safe and positive for children to spend their holidays, while easing some of the pressure of childcare and food costs.

One parent in Warrington told us:

“The camp was fantastic. Not only did my son get to do lots of sports and activities that he wouldn't usually have the opportunity to try, but it meant I could continue working and not have to use holidays or take unpaid leave.”

Another parent in Manchester described how her daughter spent the summer trying new sports, making friends and coming home excited to talk about her day, rather than spending weeks at home after her usual childcare arrangements fell through.

And in Kirklees, one parent summed it up simply:

“It’s been great to have a safe place for my kids over the summer. They have loved the sessions, been kept busy as well as eating a healthy meal each day.”

Making holiday support easier to access

We are really proud to play a part in making HAF work for more families. School holidays can bring additional pressure for parents, as childcare costs rise, food bills increase and normal routines disappear. By connecting activity, food and wider support through one familiar community route, we make it easier for families to access the help available without having to navigate multiple systems or work out where to go next. High-quality holiday provision can ease some of that pressure while giving children the chance to eat well, stay active, try new things and spend time with friends.

This work is made possible through close collaboration with councils, community organisations and activity providers, alongside the support of Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief, whose backing helps us extend the reach and impact of HAF Around the Hub.

For us, HAF Around the Hub is about more than filling holiday spaces. It is about making sure families can access the right support, in the right place, without unnecessary barriers.

Barfoots and The Bread and Butter Thing partnership saves over 100 tonnes of surplus produce from waste

Barfoots and The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) have joined forces to create a simple and scalable approach to surplus food redistribution, diverting almost 100 tonnes of edible fresh produce from anaerobic digestion and disposal into human consumption.

The partnership began with a simple idea: rather than changing how food is produced, change where surplus food goes.

In less than two months, the partnership has already redistributed over 100,000kg of surplus produce (the equivalent of 238,100 meals!) to communities through TBBT’s network.

Crucially, the model has been designed to fit seamlessly into Barfoots’ existing production processes, meaning the redistribution comes at zero operational cost to the producer.

Barfoots’ existing production lines already had segregation points where produce could be separated. By creating a clearly defined surplus stream for TBBT, edible food that would otherwise have left the human food chain could instead be rapidly redistributed to communities in the Bread and Butter food club network.

This produce includes Tenderstem broccoli leaves, stems and floret pieces, sweet potatoes, asparagus affected by size or appearance specifications, as well as chillies and green beans that did not meet colour or size specifications.

Steve Brown, Head of Customer Technical at Barfoots, said:

“The difference between putting something in this bin or this bin is literally zero.”

The partnership removes many of the traditional barriers that can make surplus redistribution difficult. Donated and reusable trays help overcome packaging costs, existing segregation requires no additional shop-floor labour, and TBBT uses Fowler Welch backhaul transport, meaning no additional vehicles are required and there are no added transport emissions.

Aldi played an important role in bringing Barfoots and TBBT together, helping to connect the commercial and community objectives of the partnership.

TBBT provides the flexibility and infrastructure needed to respond quickly to variable volumes and specifications, with the ability to collect produce the following day through existing transport routes and distribute it to communities experiencing food insecurity.

The results demonstrate how food waste reduction can be built into existing supply chains without creating additional complexity.

The impact so far

• 48,195kg of surplus food redistributed

• 114,752 meals delivered to communities

• Food diverted from lower-value waste routes into human consumption

• Zero financial cost to Barfoots’ operations

• No additional transport emissions

• Multiple product streams moved rapidly from trial to full rollout

This partnership also demonstrates the potential for closer collaboration between food producers, retailers and food redistribution organisations to deliver both environmental and social benefits.

The model is designed to be scalable and replicable, showing that surplus food redistribution does not necessarily require new infrastructure, additional labour or complicated processes.

As Steve Brown puts it:

“For redistribution to work, it must be no more complicated than a spoon.  With this principal in mind, we have worked with The Bread and Butter Thing to identify easy to collect waste streams that add negligible disruption to day-to-day operations, ensuring it becomes business as usual”

Justin Pritchard, Head of Food at The Bread and Butter Thing, said:

“The important thing is that it has been made simple. We’re not asking producers to create a whole new process or take on additional cost. We’re finding ways to make redistribution part of what they already do.”

The partnership shows that food waste reduction at scale can be achieved by making redistribution a simple part of existing supply chains – turning surplus produce that would otherwise be wasted into nutritious food for communities.

GMCA phones distributed by The Bread and Butter Thing to help tackle digital exclusion.

The Bread and Butter Thing has worked with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Hubbub to help tackle digital exclusion in communities across Greater Manchester.

The project supported people who may otherwise struggle to stay connected, particularly in areas facing high levels of disadvantage. Working closely with local partners, TBBT helped develop a practical distribution plan that focused on dignity, trust and quick delivery.

Members were made aware of the support through posters, in person conversations and engagement at hub sessions. Each member received a phone, charger, start up instructions and SIM card. The phones were provided as part of a wider GMCA programme to help people become, and remain, connected.

Some members arrived early to speak with the team and get help understanding how to set up their phones. This took place alongside The Big Brew Time, giving members the chance to meet others, have a friendly conversation and enjoy a hot drink.

For some members, the support was about much more than having a device. It meant being able to manage daily life, stay in touch with services, access information and remain connected to family, health support and their wider community.

One member said:

“It’s really helpful. My daughter is Type 1 diabetic. The app to monitor her glucose levels via her Dexcom machine will stop working on older phones later this year. This new handset means that she can continue to lead her life with the insulin system, at a time when we couldn’t afford a phone upgrade.”

The project shows the important role community food clubs can play beyond access to affordable food. By building trusted relationships in local communities, hubs can help connect people to wider support in a way that feels practical, welcoming and respectful.

The story behind The Bread and Butter Thing’s Social Impact.

We are pleased to share The Bread and Butter Thing’s 2026 Social Value Report, which provides an independent assessment of the difference our work is making in communities across England.

At TBBT, we have always believed that affordable food is about far more than what is on the table. It is about stability, dignity, health, resilience and community connection. This report helps quantify that impact and demonstrates the role preventative food infrastructure can play in supporting households facing sustained financial pressure.

The independent evaluation, undertaken using HM Treasury Green Book aligned methodology, estimates that TBBT generated more than £132 million in social value during 2025, delivering approximately £19.07 of social value for every £1 invested in the organisation.

The findings show the scale of the impact created through regular access to affordable food, particularly for households living with persistent financial insecurity. Alongside the direct financial savings for members, the report highlights wider benefits including improved food security, reduced stress and anxiety around feeding families, improved nutrition and strengthened social connection within communities.

Importantly, this work is only possible because of the collective effort behind it. Every week, community volunteers, suppliers, funders, local authorities, delivery partners and community organisations help make sure healthy and affordable food reaches the people who need it most. In 2025 alone, volunteers contributed more than 183,000 hours across our network.

The report also reinforces something we see every day across our hubs: food support works best when it is welcoming, local, dependable and rooted in dignity. Our hubs are not simply places to collect food. They are spaces where people connect, gain confidence, access additional support and feel part of their community.

As demand continues to rise and many households remain under pressure from the long tail of the cost of living crisis, we hope this report helps contribute to wider conversations around prevention, public health, food security and community resilience.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support, champion and work alongside The Bread and Butter Thing. We are incredibly grateful for your partnership and belief in what can be achieved when communities, organisations and businesses come together with purpose.

Proud to support “Let’s put hunger to bed.”

We see every day how financial pressure builds quietly for families. Not just at mealtimes, but in the worry that follows people into the evening when the cupboards are running low, bills are mounting up and there’s still another week to get through.

That’s why we’re proud to support the next phase of the partnership between Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief through their new campaign, “Let’s Put Hunger to Bed”.

(Read the Impact Report of the previous “Nourish the Nation” campaign here.)

The campaign highlights the hidden reality of food insecurity across the UK, with new research showing that 1 in 6 parents are putting their children to bed hungry every week.

At The Bread and Butter Thing, our members tell us that food insecurity is rarely just about food. It’s about stress, exhaustion and constantly juggling impossible choices. Our latest insight work found that many households have less than £50 left each month after rent and energy bills, while parents regularly cut back so their children do not have to.

Because of support from partners like Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief, we can continue helping families access fresh, healthy affordable food in a way that feels welcoming, local and stigma free.

We’re incredibly proud to be part of this partnership and the shared ambition to ensure more children and families can go to bed feeling nourished, supported and hopeful for the future.

Our members’ voices in The Guardian.

We are really chuffed to see our letter printed in The Guardian this week.

Affordable fresh food is a recipe for a healthy Britain The letter talks about something our members tell us all the time, that people want to eat well, but healthy food has become harder and harder to afford.

One of the most important things about Bread and Butter is that we get to hear directly from members every week. Through surveys, chats at hubs and our podcast, people trust us with the reality of what life is like at the moment.

It means conversations happening nationally aren’t based on assumptions about communities they’re based on real experiences from real people.

We’re really grateful to every member who shares their story, fills in a survey or simply has a chat with the team at a hub. Those voices help make sure people understand that food insecurity isn’t about not caring about healthy eating it’s about affordability, access and pressure.

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Trustees visit The bread and butter thing.

We were really pleased to welcome trustees from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to The Bread and Butter Thing this week, hosting their trustee meeting at our Eccles site and spending time together across the operation.

The visit was a great opportunity to bring the partnership to life. After the meeting, trustees met some of our brilliant colleagues to understand how our model works in practice, from the warehouse through to the communities we serve.

At The Bread and Butter Thing, we support around 10,000 members each week through our network of community food hubs. These are not one off interventions. They are part of a steady, preventative approach that helps people stay afloat, offering access to affordable, nutritious food in a way that is dignified, consistent and rooted in local communities.

What really stood out during the visit was the strength and breadth of the partnership. From the Women’s Empowerment Programme to corporate volunteering and wider organisational support, Sodexo has played a significant role in helping us grow and deepen our impact.

There were some really thoughtful discussions throughout the day. We talked about the current pressures facing households, the importance of prevention rather than crisis response, and the role that partnerships like this can play in reaching more people earlier. We also explored how we continue to build on what we have already achieved together, making sure we are unlocking as much value as possible for the communities we both care about.

Visits like this matter. They create space to reflect, to challenge and to strengthen shared ambition. Most importantly, they help ensure that partnerships are not just well intentioned, but genuinely effective.

We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from Sodexo and the Stop Hunger Foundation, and we are looking forward to continuing to develop the partnership in a way that benefits even more Bread and Butter members in the months and years ahead.

Mark Game to lead FoodCycle as CEO.

We’re incredibly proud to share that Mark Game, founder of The Bread and Butter Thing, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of FoodCycle.

At Bread and Butter, we’ve long believed that food is about more than what’s on the plate; it’s about dignity, community, and creating spaces where people feel welcome and supported, which is something we have always admired about FoodCycle.

While our models are different, our purpose is closely aligned, with FoodCycle bringing people together around a shared meal to create connection and tackle loneliness, and us bringing affordable, nutritious food directly into communities to help people stay afloat before crisis hits. Both approaches recognise that food can be a powerful catalyst for change, and as our own work shows, support is most effective when it is consistent, accessible and rooted in community.

This isn’t a new connection, as Mark has been part of the FoodCycle journey for many years, serving as a trustee from 2017 to 2023, during which time we’ve built a strong and supportive relationship between our organisations grounded in shared values and a commitment to doing the right thing.

We want to say a huge congratulations to Mark on this appointment and, while it’s always a big moment when a founder moves on and we know he will be missed by our staff, volunteers and members, he will continue as a Patron of The Bread and Butter Thing, so we’re not saying goodbye for good.

For us, it remains very much business as usual, with our focus firmly on delivering for the communities we serve each week, continuing to grow our impact and staying true to what matters most, and we wish Mark every success in the role as we cheer him on from the sidelines.

Quietly doing incredible things!

Our CEO Vic Harper was recently featured in The Grocer (a leading publication in the UK grocery industry).

As part of the magazine’s long running series, ‘My Alternative CV,’ Vic got a chance to talk about the work we do at The Bread and Butter Thing, while answering some alternative questions!

Click here to read the full article.

What animal most reflects your personality?
A sheepdog. Calm most of the time, fiercely protective when it matters, and always keeping an eye on the whole field.

Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why?
Sarah Lancashire. She has a brilliant ability to portray complex, grounded characters rooted in real communities with dignity and authenticity. As someone who is proudly northern, I think it is really important that we continue to celebrate and amplify voices from all parts of the UK, and she does that exceptionally well.

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be?
Fresh, healthy food would be the cheapest option on the shelf, not the hardest to afford.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing people stop just surviving week to week and start breathing again. And watching communities quietly do incredible things when you give them the right tools.

What is your motto in life?
Do the right thing, even when it’s harder.

We absolutely agree with Vic that doing the right thing matters, even when it’s harder. At The Bread and Butter Thing, that’s exactly what we strive to do every single day. With current estimates suggesting that around 9–10 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK each year, reducing food waste is no small challenge. But it’s one we’re deeply committed to tackling. And as Vic says, the most rewarding part of our work is seeing members move beyond crisis point and quietly begin to do incredible things.